ObamaVision deemed top TV word

ObamaVision - the term coined by the media to sum up President Barack Obama's
pledge to bring hope and change to America - has been picked as the most
influential English word or phrase from television in 2009.

8:45PM BST 23 Sep 2009

"ObamaVision" was first heard during last year's U.S. presidential election campaign and beat off "financial meltdown" to the top position in the 6th annual list of Top 10 Telewords compiled by research group, the Global Language Monitor.

"Michael Jackson" whose death in June triggered days of wall-to-wall news coverage, and "Susan Boyle" -- the British singer who became an overnight sensation after appearing on a televised talent show -- came third and fourth.

The Texas-based Global Language Monitor uses an algorithm to search printed and electronic media and the Internet for trends in word usage and their impact on culture.

It issues its Top 10 Telewords to coincide with the official start of the U.S. television season in late September.

The 2009 list recognized a website for the first time this year, putting Hulu.com in 5th place. Hulu.com, a joint venture between thee US media companies, was launched in 2008 and streams TV shows over the Internet for free.

The Top 10 Telewords of 2009 are:

1) ObamaVision

2) Financial Meltdown

3) Michael Jackson

4) Susan Boyle

5) Hulu.com

6) Vampires

7) Dar Dour (The Iraqi TV show spoof)

8) Wizards

9) "And that's the way it is," (the signoff of late U.S. news anchor Walter Cronkite)